Removable garment supporting clip for clothes hangers



Oct. 17,1950

G. J. WEYMOVUTH MOVABLE GARMENT "SUPPOR NG CLIP FOR CLOTHES HANGERS Filed Feb. 1a, 1949 r O t n e D n 3 i atented Oct. 17, 1956 REMOVABLE GARMENT SUPPORTING CLIP FOR CLOTHES HANGERS George J. Weymouth, Bridgeport, Conn, assignoi to O. & W. Tool Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a

partnership Application February 18, 1949, Serial No. 77,110

(Cl. TEES-91) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a readily attachable garment-supporting clip for clothes hangers or the like, and has for an object to provide a clip for supporting various garments, which clip may be applied laterally to the endless or lower looped wire of a clothes hanger or other suitable support, such, for example, as a suspended wire or small rod, the wire when the clip is applied to it acting not only as a support for the clip and any article held thereby, but the wire also acts as a pivot means connecting the members of the clip.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the common form of wire clothes hanger showing a pair of these im roved clips applied thereto;

Pig. 2 is a side elevation of from the hanger;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating how the clip may be applied to or removed from the supporting wire; 7

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the various parts of the device separated; and

Fig. 5 is a side view showing the clips on a supporting wire or rod.

It is common practice to use a looped wire type of hanger for supporting various garments, such, for example, as coats or jackets, such a type of the clip removed hanger being shown in Fig. 1, comprising a single piece of wire bent to a substantially triangular shaped closed loop comprising a bottom straight bar l0 and inclined side bars H, with one end terminating in a hook 12 for suspending the hanger from a support, and the other end being twisted about the stem of the hook as shown at l3. Mens trousers, ladies skirts, or similar garments can also be hung from this hanger by passing them through the loop and folding them over the bar 10, but this is not satisfactory as there is nothing to grip or hold them in place and they are apt to slide from the hanger. Hangers can be purchased with clips permanently mounted thereon, but these clips form a permanent part of the hanger structure and most householders have a considerable number of these plain wire hangers without the clips. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective clip which may be purchased separately and applied to these hangers which the householder already has and make them more efficient and effective for hanging various garments, such, for example, as men's trousers and ladies skirts, in addition to the jackets or similar garments.

This clip comprises two side or body members 14 which may be pressed from sheet metal of a suitable thickness. The particular structure shown comprises a substantially flat elongated portion l5 provided with gripping means at one end forming clamping jaws, l6 for the garment and finger grips I! at the other end. The clamping jaws may be formed in various ways, but in the structure shown the gripping effect is increased by a transverse inwardly pressed rib or head la. The intermediate portion and the finger grip ends are strengthened or stiffened by a peripheral flange [9.

On each of the opposite side edges of these body members and intermediate the clamping jaws l6 and finger grips 11, they are provided with laterally extending lugs or ears 2i] terminating in open-sided hooks 2!. That is, the lugs are provided with open-sided recesses 22 with their open sides 23 facing generally in a direction longitudinally of the body member and preferably toward the finger grips. The two side members are connected by an intermediate spring, the construction preferred being a substantially fiat spring 24 bent intermediate its length to a somewhat U shape, with its opposite end portions 25 located against the inner sides of the side members l'4,and secured to these members adjacent the finger grip ends thereof by any suitable means. The securing means shown in the drawing comprises a short tubular lug or integral rivet 26 punched and drawn from the material of the body members and inserted through an opening 21 punched in the spring adjacent its opposite ends and then riveted over to secure the spring to the body members. This spring tends to separate the finger grips I! but to force the clamping jaws 16 together. The spring also secures the two side members together with the recessed or hooked lugs or ears 2!]- in overlapped relation, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the lugs being spaced somewhat more on one side member than the other. If a thumb and finger are placed on the outer walls of these two side members M, as shown in broken lines Fig. 3, the two side members canbe forced toward each other so that the open sides of recesses 22 are spaced laterally from each other and can be slid laterally over a supporting wire, such, for example, as the lower wire ID of the hanger, as shown in Fig. 3. Then by releasing the pressure on the side members the spring 24 will tend to separate them and seat the wire in the hooks or recesses 22, as shown in Fig. 5. This operation of applying the clip to the wire can be Somewhat more easily accomplished if the two finger grips I! are first swung toward each other so that the two body members it are in substantially parallel relation, as shown in Fig. 3, and then these two side members, by further pressing inwardly on their outer surfaces, are forced closer together so that the open sides of the recesses can be slipped over the wire. This retains the clip on the wire, and thus the wire not only forms the support for the clip, but it also forms a connecting pivot means between the side members of the clip, so that by merely pressing inwardly in the finger grips or free ends I l the jaws H at the opposite ends may be separated for opening the clip for insertion of the garment, such, for eX- ample, as the end of a pair of mens trousers, as indicated by the broken lines 28 in Fig. 1. The intermediate bend 29 of the spring when assembled in the clip is below the hooks or open recesses 22 so as not to interfere with the application of these recesses to the wire. The clips may be removed from the wire if desired by again pressing the side members together to laterally separate the open sides of the recesses, but usually, after the clips are applied to the wire they are left in position thereon.

It will be seen from the above that these clips are of very simple construction comprising a minimum number of parts and may be readily applied by a lateral movement to a supporting wire or rod. They may, therefore, be readily applied to the lower bar of the closed loop of the common type of wire clothes hanger or any other type of wire or small rod support as de sired, and may be as readily removed therefrom if found desirable.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A clip of the character described comprising a pair of opposed members each including a clamping jaw at one end and a finger grip at its other end, pivot lugs on the opposite side edges of each member bent substantially perpendicular thereto and located between the jaw and grip each provided with a hook upwardly open to receive a wire by relative lateral movement through said open sides to pivot the members together and on said wire, a spring between and joining said members tending to separate them laterally and press inner edges of the hooks against the wire to retain the hooks on the wire, said spring also tending to turn the members on the wire to press the jaws together, and said hooks being separable from the wire by pressing the members bodily toward each other to bring the open sides of the hooks into alignment so they can be separated from the wire by lateral movement relative thereto.

2. A clip of the character described comprising a pair of opposed side members each including a clamping jaw at one end and a finger grip at the other end, laterally extending lugs on the opposite intermediate edges of said members provided with and substantially perpendicular thereto hooks upwardly open to receive and engage a pivot wire through the open sides by a lateral movement relative to the wire and form a pivotal connection between said members and also support the clip on the wire, and a substantially U-shaped spring between the members secured at its opposite ends to these members and tending to turn the members on the wire to clamp the jaws together.

3. A clip of the character described comprising a pair of opposed side members each including a clamping jaw at one end and a finger grip at the other end, laterally extending pivot lugs on the opposite intermediate side edges of said members bent substantially perpendicular thereto and each provided with a recess in one side opening in a direction longitudinally of said members, said recesses when the side members are substantially parallel and pressed toward each other facing in the same direction and shiftable laterally over a wire to pivotally mount said members thereon, and a spring between said members connected at its opposite ends thereto and tending to separate the finger grip ends of said members to press inner edges of the recesses against the wire to retain the clip on the wire and also turn the member on the wire to press the jaws together.

GEORGE J. WEYMOUTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,893,508 Rosenberg Jan. 10, 1933 2,455,258 Levitin Nov. 30, 1948 

